An American Witch at Hogwarts
by RachelVeela
Summary: One girl's past is discovered in this story. Can the trio help her adjust to it? PG, just to be safe. The genre's might change soon, and maybe the rating


Chapter 1  
A New Student  
  
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were entering their 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry had just finished his chocolate frog when Hermione entered the train compartment.  
  
"Harry! Ron! I've just heard the most exciting news!" she practically shouted.  
  
"What?" Harry and Ron both asked at the same time.  
  
"Hogwarts it to get a new student this year! Isn't it exciting?"  
  
Ron looked at her with a confused look on his face, "We always get new students, every year."  
  
Hermione glared at him, "Well, I knew that. But this new one is a 16-year-old witch from America!"  
  
Harry was suddenly very interested. "Really? I wonder what house she'll be sorted into?"  
  
"I heard she was in Leopardskin, Gryffindor's sister house." Hermione said, "Meaning there's a really good chance she'll be in Gryffindor." Just as Hermione finished her sentence, Malfoy walked in.  
  
"Heard about the new student, eh Granger? In hopes she'll be in Gryffindor?"  
  
"Beat it, Malfoy." Harry growled.  
  
"Oh, how sweet! Standing up for your GIRLFRIEND, Potter?" Malfoy sneered, "Go home to your mother. Oops, I've forgotten, you don't HAVE a mother, do you? And you Mudblood," he turned to Hermione, "Go back to where you came from, the Muggle world."  
  
Ron jumped in, "You're a disgrace to witches and wizards everywhere!" He pulled out his wand ("RON! Stop!" Hermione squealed). "Rictusempra!" A line of silver shot out of Ron's wand and hit Malfoy in the stomach.  
  
"Ron! You can't go around using your wand like that," Hermione said, and pulled out her wand, "Curosa!" A jet of baby blue came from her wand and hit Malfoy, returning him to full health. "If you want to beat him, join the dueling club again this year. And Malfoy, get out of here!"  
  
"All right, I'll go. Weasley, stay out of my way!" Malfoy ran out of the room. As he left, a knock came at the door.  
  
"Come on in," Harry said. Ron and Hermione sat down again.  
  
"You don't mind if I join you?" said the girl at the door, "All the other compartments are taken and won't let someone new in."  
  
"No, we don't mind," Harry said. "There's just enough room for one more."  
  
"Thanks!" the beautiful new girl came in and sat down, "My name's Amber Heartginger. I'm the transfer student from Nematoad Soup."  
  
"Hullo, I'm Hermione Granger. This is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." Hermione said, introducing them all.  
  
"I saw some boy running out of here. He looked a bit sick to the stomach." Amber said.  
  
"Oh, that's Draco Malfoy, a Slytherin." Harry said, examining Amber. "Do you know what House you're in yet?"  
  
"Yes, I'm in Gryffindor. What Houses are you guys in?" Amber asked.  
  
"Gryffindor!" Harry, Ron and Hermione all said at the same time. "Well, we all better get in our robes for the Sorting ceremony." Hermione said.   
  
  
After they were all in their robes, gotten off the train, and sat at the Gryffindor table, the Sorting had begun. "Agal, Cory!" shouted Professor McGonagall. A small, rather timid boy walked up to the Sorting Hat. "Hufflepuff!" screamed the Hat.  
  
"Moody, Alastor III!"  
  
"Do you reckon that's Professor Moody's grandson?" Ron asked, abashed.  
  
"I don't know. They do look a bit alike, don't they?" Hermione said.  
  
"Ok, did I miss something?" Amber asked.  
  
"Gryffindor!" shouted the Hat.  
  
"Yes, actually. In out 4th year, we had a professor, named Mad-Eye Moody. He was really Mr. Crouch's son, a follower of Voldemort." Harry said. Ron cringed at the sound of the Dark Lord's name.  
  
"Yeah, I think I heard about that." Grace said. Professor McGonagall called out more names and the Sorting Hat called out more houses by the time they had finished talking.  
  
"Heartginger, Ashley!" hollered Professor McGonagall.  
  
There was a long pause at the Hat talked to Ashley. It finally shrieked, "Huff . . . " it stopped to cough, "Gryffindor!" Ashley walked down to the Gryffindor table and sat next to Amber.  
  
"Guys, this is my little sister, Ashley. Ash, this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley." Amber said to her new friends and to her sister.  
  
"Harry Potter?! Do you really have a scar?" Ashley asked.  
  
"Won't you shut up? He probably doesn't want to hear about that!" Amber snarled at her sister.  
  
"It's quite all right," Harry said. "I'm very used to it." He brushed his frizz away from his forehead to show off a lightning bolt scar. "See?"  
  
Ashley leaned in for a better look at Harry's scar. "Awesome! Does it hurt?"  
  
"Sometimes, when Voldemort's near." Harry said. Ron cringed again. So did Ashley.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Harry. My sisters' been told not to make everything such a big deal." Amber said, glaring at her sister. "She's never met anyone famous before. Come to think of it, neither have I."  
  
As Amber finished her sentence, a new teacher walked in. When the Sorting ceremony was over, Professor Dumbledore made an announcement. "Students, calm down and listen please." The Great Hall suddenly became quiet. "First of all, I would like to welcome all of you back to Hogwarts. Secondly, we have a new teacher. Please welcome Professor Majority Ridle, who will be taking the part of the Defense Against the Dark Arts job." Everyone clapped. "And we have a new student from America. Amber Heartginger, who will be in the Gryffindor House." Amber turned red as everyone looked at her and clapped. "Now that we've finished the important things, enjoy your meals!"  
  
Professor Dumbledore and Professor Ridle sat down at their table. Amber examined the gold plates in front of her and her friends. Food appeared at the tables. Amber had never seen so many different foods! She had recognized some from Nematoad Soup, but most of it was foreign. "Is it always like this?" She asked Hermione.  
  
"Mostly on important nights. Could you pass the French bread?" Amber handed a piece of bread to Hermione and grabbed one for herself.  
  
She glanced at Ron, who happened to be looking at her. There was a strange look on his face. Amber turned away, blushing. She thought to herself that Ron was very cute, but didn't want to make a big issue out of it sense she really liked Harry.  
  
  
Later that night, everyone had left the Gryffindor common room except Hermione, who (to nobody's surprise) was reading The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6, Harry, who was chatting with Ron, who was probably whispering about Hermione always reading, and Amber.  
  
"What's with you, Harry?" Ron asked him in his ear.  
  
"I don't know. There's something about Amber that I can't quite put my finger on." Harry whispered back to Ron.  
  
"Ah, I think I know what it is," Ron said, "She's beautiful, and you've got a bit of puppy love for her. Don't you?"  
  
"Well... I mean... You're..." Harry didn't know what he was saying.  
  
"That's what I thought."  
  
"Ok, I'm going to bed," Hermione closed her book and stood up. "Are you joining me, Amber?"  
  
"Um, I'll be up there in a while." Amber answered.  
  
"Oh well then," Hermione said. "Goodnight everyone."  
  
"Goodnight, Hermione." Harry, Ron, and Amber said.  
  
"Well, I'm going to head up to bed, too." Ron said. "Goodnight, Amber, Harry."  
  
"Goodnight." they called after him.  
  
"Are you going to bed, too?" Amber asked Harry when they were alone.  
  
"Not yet," Harry replied. "I'm not tired."  
  
"Ok. At least I won't be alone." they both giggled.  
  
Ok, so I'm alone with her, and can't think of one bloody thing to say! Harry thought.  
  
"Great. Just great. I am the only one here with him and we aren't saying anything!" Amber thought. "Please, Harry! Just break the silence!"  
  
"So, uh..." Harry started. "You excited to start at your new school?"  
  
"Yes," Amber said. "Very. What's Hogwarts' really like, anyway?"  
  
"You can find out, and I'll be there with you."  
  
"What the heck are you talking about?"  
  
"Wait here," Harry said in a mysterious voice. "I'll get my Invisibility Cloak." Harry ran up the stairs into his room. It seemed much like home, with the 4-poster beds. He rummaged through his suitcase and found his cloak. After he found it, he returned to Amber, who was waiting impatiently in the common room. "Get under and we can go almost anywhere we want. Do you have the time?"  
  
Amber looked at her watch, "It's 10:37."  
  
"I'll take you to meet my friend."  
  
"Where is this friend?"  
  
Harry didn't answer. He lead her into the corridors and out onto the school grounds.   
  
"Harry, where are we going?" Amber asked him after a while.   
  
"Right here," Harry said as they came to Hagrid's hut. He knocked on the door. A dog barked from inside. "Hagrid, it's me, Harry!" Harry said, loud enough so whoever was inside to hear him, but not loud enough to be heard from an open window.  
  
Hagrid opened the door, "Come in, Harry. I was hoping yeh'd come."   
  
Amber followed Harry inside the small house. They pulled off the Invisibility Cloak. "Hagrid, this is Amber Heartginger, the new student from America."  
  
"Nice ter meet yeh." Hagrid said, holding out his hand. Amber shook it, nervously. "Would yeh two like ter have some tea?"   
  
"I'd be glad to," Harry turned to Selina. "D'you want some tea?"  
  
"Sure!" Amber said, "I love tea!"  
  
"I sure hope nuttin odd is agoing on here at Hogwarts this year," Hagrid said. "These pas' 5 years have been strange, don't yeh think, Harry?"  
  
"Hey, I don't go looking for trouble!" Harry said. "Trouble usually finds me!"  
  
After about twenty minutes, Harry and Amber had finished their tea, and walked back up to the school. "It's a little chilly out here, isn't it?" Amber asked. She was cold even though she was under an Invisibility Cloak.  
  
Harry pulled her up to his side and put his arm around her. "How's that?" he asked her.   
  
Amber's heart was racing, as if she was a car racing at the Pepsi-500 back home. She took a deep breath. "Better." she said, in no more than a whisper.  
  
Amber and Harry reached the common room and took off the cloak. "I'm going to bed now. Goodnight." Harry said.  
  
"I'm tired now. I'm heading up, too." Amber said. "Thanks for showing me some of Hogwarts', Harry. That was really nice of you..." she stopped, looking for what to do or say. "Well, goodnight, Harry." Amber and Harry started up to their rooms. Amber plopped right down on her 4-poster bed. She felt Hermione fall right next to her.  
  
"So, what did you two do?" she asked.   
  
"Well, Harry took me around Hogwarts'."  
  
"Did he take you to meet Hagrid?"  
  
"Yes, and we had tea with him and stuff. And when we got outside, it was cold and..."Amber trailed off, thinking about what happened when they got outside.  
  
"You like him, don't you?" Hermione asked. Amber didn't say anything, but a smile crept across her face. 


End file.
